Maker's Mark - A bourbon that leaves a mark.
We all know the bottle but most of us probably do not know much about the brand. We have seen the unique bottle shape, the sexy and iconic red wax playfully dripping down the neck of the bottle like a silk dress on a woman's body. The bottle design and the careful marketing of this product probably drew a lot of bourbon drinkers into it more than anything else about the bourbon or the bottle facts.
I first bought a bottle of Maker's Mark as a "treat" for myself. It looked classy at a fairly decent price so I purchased it as a way to expand my palate to more "high-end" bourbons. I know many people who purchased their first bottle of Maker's for the same reason. It seemed like a sensible upgrade from the bottom shelves. This image that the brand carefully cultivated makes this bourbon important to bourbon's popularity today.
How Maker's Mark made its mark.
The brand was started when T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr. purchased the Burks Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky on October 1953.. The distillery began production in 1954 and the first batch bottled in 1958. Ever since the beginning, Maker's Mark has had the iconic trademarked red wax seal. The red wax seal is part of the Maker's Mark trademark and they have sued other products for trying to copy it - and won. The brand has passed through different owners since its founding and is currently owned by Beam-Suntory who also owns Jim Beam. Under the ownership of Beam-Suntory, the brand caused a huge controversy when it announced a plan to lower its proof from 90 to 84 in 2013. The reasoning behind this was issues with supply. The loyal fans of Maker's Mark were upset and the brand image suffered. Due to the backlash, Maker's Mark was forced to reverse course 1 week after the original announcement. Today it is still bottled at 90 proof.
Wheat and some extras.
One key to Maker's Mark's success in the market is its unique recipe. Unlike most traditional bourbons that use Rye as the secondary ingredient in its mash bill, Maker's Mark uses Winter Wheat. Maker's Mark is made from a mash bill of Corn (70%), Wheat (16%) and Malted Barley (14%). This recipe apparently gives Maker's Mark a smoother and sweeter taste profile that appeals to a lot of people compared to the traditional bourbon that packs a lot of spice from the Rye. Using wheat as a secondary ingredient allows Maker's Mark to stand out as a unique type of bourbon and the sweetness of the whisky makes it more appealing to many new drinkers. Today, many bourbon drinkers chase after "wheated" bourbons and this is all thanks to how Maker's Mark made a bet on this grain.
Maker's Mark also does a few unique things in its production process that most distilleries do not do. Most bourbon distilleries have a barrel entry proof of around 120 - 125 but Maker's Mark has an entry proof of 110. This reportedly allows the whisky to absorb more flavour from the wood. Maker's Mark also rotates their barrels inside their rick house unlike most distilleries who do not. The reason for this rotation is to apparently allow all the barrels to mature consistently. Exposing the barrels to the same elements equally allows Maker's Mark to maintain consistency in the aging process. This method though is physically demanding and labour intensive.
The bottle also says that Maker's Mark is handmade. Exact words on the bottle is "Maker's Mark is America's only handmade bourbon whisky - never mass produced. Each batch is small - less than 19 barrels..." This is where marketing blurs the line between fact and fiction. Is Maker's Mark really handmade? I don't buy that at all. Yes the wax seal is done by hand but that's it. The production of the whisky is highly automated like many distilleries or else how could it produce so much whisky yearly. I also doubt the claim that each batch is made from less than 19 barrels. Why do I doubt it? Because the bottle does not have a batch number on it like many true "small batch" bourbons. Another reason why I doubt the truth to this claim of handmade and extremely small batch is the fact that there is no real regulation behind that claim. Unlike all other terms found on labels, "small batch" and "handmade" is not defined anywhere in US regulation so anytime a brand uses these terms, always take it with a grain of salt.
The bottle is also non-age stated but their website says "aged for around six years, being bottled and marketed when the taster's agree that it is ready." Here is another tricky situation. The website says "around six year" but it does not say that anywhere in the bottle. Did you ever wonder why? Because they can say anything they want on their website - even a vague statement of the age - without any real legal consequence but things on the bottle referring to age must follow strict regulations. When their website says "around six year" it could mean any number before or after 6. So what can we say for certain about the age of the whisky? Let's look at the bottle facts.
One key to Maker's Mark's success in the market is its unique recipe. Unlike most traditional bourbons that use Rye as the secondary ingredient in its mash bill, Maker's Mark uses Winter Wheat. Maker's Mark is made from a mash bill of Corn (70%), Wheat (16%) and Malted Barley (14%). This recipe apparently gives Maker's Mark a smoother and sweeter taste profile that appeals to a lot of people compared to the traditional bourbon that packs a lot of spice from the Rye. Using wheat as a secondary ingredient allows Maker's Mark to stand out as a unique type of bourbon and the sweetness of the whisky makes it more appealing to many new drinkers. Today, many bourbon drinkers chase after "wheated" bourbons and this is all thanks to how Maker's Mark made a bet on this grain.
Maker's Mark also does a few unique things in its production process that most distilleries do not do. Most bourbon distilleries have a barrel entry proof of around 120 - 125 but Maker's Mark has an entry proof of 110. This reportedly allows the whisky to absorb more flavour from the wood. Maker's Mark also rotates their barrels inside their rick house unlike most distilleries who do not. The reason for this rotation is to apparently allow all the barrels to mature consistently. Exposing the barrels to the same elements equally allows Maker's Mark to maintain consistency in the aging process. This method though is physically demanding and labour intensive. The bottle also says that Maker's Mark is handmade. Exact words on the bottle is "Maker's Mark is America's only handmade bourbon whisky - never mass produced. Each batch is small - less than 19 barrels..." This is where marketing blurs the line between fact and fiction. Is Maker's Mark really handmade? I don't buy that at all. Yes the wax seal is done by hand but that's it. The production of the whisky is highly automated like many distilleries or else how could it produce so much whisky yearly. I also doubt the claim that each batch is made from less than 19 barrels. Why do I doubt it? Because the bottle does not have a batch number on it like many true "small batch" bourbons. Another reason why I doubt the truth to this claim of handmade and extremely small batch is the fact that there is no real regulation behind that claim. Unlike all other terms found on labels, "small batch" and "handmade" is not defined anywhere in US regulation so anytime a brand uses these terms, always take it with a grain of salt.
The bottle is also non-age stated but their website says "aged for around six years, being bottled and marketed when the taster's agree that it is ready." Here is another tricky situation. The website says "around six year" but it does not say that anywhere in the bottle. Did you ever wonder why? Because they can say anything they want on their website - even a vague statement of the age - without any real legal consequence but things on the bottle referring to age must follow strict regulations. When their website says "around six year" it could mean any number before or after 6. So what can we say for certain about the age of the whisky? Let's look at the bottle facts.
The bottle carries the term Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. The fact that it carries the word Straight tells me something certain about its age - that it is at least 2 years old. The fact that the bottle has no age statement tells me for certain that it is at least 4 years old. This bottle fact allows me to be certain that when the website says it is around 6 years old, it actually means it can be older than 6 years but not younger than 4. Does this age make it a good whisky? Let's find out.
My tasting notes
Appearance: Pale golden orange with decent legs. Not as sexy as the dripping red wax but enough to keep things interesting.
Nose: Sweet, brown sugar, candy, vanilla. You can feel the proof from the nose as I feel a little tingle in my nose when I smell it.
Palate: Sweetness carries through the palate but not as intense as it was in the nose. Mouthfeel is creamy with notes of ginger and lemon with some light spices rounded out by vanilla and caramel notes. The background has a very subtle whisper of oak.
Finish: Medium but not abrupt. Faint hints of oak and candied apples come up in the cascading finish. The ginger note from the palate carries through the finish and ends with a slight bitterness. The creamy texture closes out the finish muting the astringency of the alcohol.
Overall: This is a unique taste profile compared to the standard bourbons. It is not as upfront with the caramel and vanilla. It offers a sweetness that is unique and more intense than the standard bourbon profile. The body is decent but it has some bite that can throw off some of the more subtle notes. This whisky feels thin in the finish with the creaminess trying to come back towards the end of the medium finish. At CAD $43 + tax, it is an ok bourbon to have on your shelf. The bottle looks great, the content is decent and it is a great way to get some of your friends started on bourbon. It is smooth and easy to drink and the sweetness usually appeals to a lot of people.
My tasting notes
Appearance: Pale golden orange with decent legs. Not as sexy as the dripping red wax but enough to keep things interesting.
Nose: Sweet, brown sugar, candy, vanilla. You can feel the proof from the nose as I feel a little tingle in my nose when I smell it.
Palate: Sweetness carries through the palate but not as intense as it was in the nose. Mouthfeel is creamy with notes of ginger and lemon with some light spices rounded out by vanilla and caramel notes. The background has a very subtle whisper of oak.
Finish: Medium but not abrupt. Faint hints of oak and candied apples come up in the cascading finish. The ginger note from the palate carries through the finish and ends with a slight bitterness. The creamy texture closes out the finish muting the astringency of the alcohol.
Overall: This is a unique taste profile compared to the standard bourbons. It is not as upfront with the caramel and vanilla. It offers a sweetness that is unique and more intense than the standard bourbon profile. The body is decent but it has some bite that can throw off some of the more subtle notes. This whisky feels thin in the finish with the creaminess trying to come back towards the end of the medium finish. At CAD $43 + tax, it is an ok bourbon to have on your shelf. The bottle looks great, the content is decent and it is a great way to get some of your friends started on bourbon. It is smooth and easy to drink and the sweetness usually appeals to a lot of people.
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